What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
by Sucker for Sanji
Summary: New addition: Screw Ch.851 with a rusty, tetanus ridden spork. All the feels. : I need more Sanji in my life, especially with the new revelations about his past. Various one-shots and two or three part stories about our wonderful, tragic, badass cook and his awful fam. First up: The crew gets sent to the past and are forced on the sidelines to watch what made Sanji, well, Sanji.
1. This Pilot Episode Sucks, Pt 1

"The Vinsmokes are a family of assassins…"

Silence fell over the room, the entire crew (minus Sanji) has wandered into the room to see what was going on and frankly, not a one had expected this. Sure the cook was secretive and had never shared a thing about his past aside from the occasional story about the Baratie crew but this? Assassins. Royal assassins at that. No that's a story not even Ussop could have come up with.

Not that it changed anything, Sanji was Sanji and he was by far the most loyal of the crew, the bright ray of sun that shone through their trials, the helping hands that never failed to be there for each one of them. He was the same as always and just because they'd learned this new bit of information didn't change who he was. It did make them curious though.

Where did their cook really come from? And more importantly…

…what could make him need to leave at such a crucial time for them?

Heaven would quake and Hell itself freeze over before Sanji would leave them to face a danger alone, but then, maybe that was why the empty space he left behind felt so cold to them.

Luffy wasn't too concerned, Sanji said he'd be coming back so _he was coming back_. He was more concerned with how long it might take though, rushing things along might be a good idea.

Zoro wasn't concerned either but for different reasons, the stupid love cook could take care of himself and was smart enough to ask for help if he needed it. No, Zoro was more pissed than anything. The curly bastard knew what they were up against and as much as Zoro hated to admit it the guy was strong, their strongest next to him and they really needed all the fire power they could get for their upcoming battles. For the cook to leave now… _fucking idiot_.

Robin was intrigued by this new information they had learned about their resident cook but was more concerned with what the future held for the remaing crew here, knowing the cook could take care of himself.

Franky wasn't too sure what exactly was going on other than that it sounded like cook-bro might have gotten himself into some trouble and that they themselves definitely were in some deep shit here.

Brooke was worried. He knew the situation at hand but he couldn't stop thinking about Sanji and that name, the Vinsmokes, it had been so long since he'd heard that name and it struck fear in his bones like nothing had in years. Fear for his nakama.

Chopper was so concerned he thought he might start finding clumps of fur falling off his coat soon from the stress. Sanji had still had injuries not fully healed and that look on his face. The others hadn't see him, they couldn't know this desperate feeling that had nestled deep within Chopper's heart. That smile Sanji had sent them, it was remorseful, apologetic, almost resigned and the little reindeer hated to think of it and what it might have really meant for Sanji to let himself be taken away to a place where they couldn't reach.

Nami was pissed and concerned and honestly a bit desperate to get Sanji back. This was all wrong, that look on his face had been all wrong. They were all supposed to be together now but instead one of their strongest and definitely most reliable was off who knows where doing who knows what. They should be going after him, something was wrong and she didn't want to admit it but Sanji he… he said those things, told them he'd be back but then smiled so brittle and false and…

"I'm going to go get him!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Huh?" The entire crew started at there captain.

Luffy pounded a fist into his other hand, face set and determined.

"I'm going to go get Sanji and bring him back."

"No."

Everyone looked at Zoro who had crossed his arms over his chest and was glaring, eyes narrowed, at a space on the floor, not looking at Luffy.

"We can't afford to split up right now there's too much going on and too big a threat over our heads to go galavanting after the damn cook and getting tangled up with another Yonko. The cook is going to have to deal with his mess on his own."

Luffy frowned and knuckles creaked in a tightening fist.

"But…"

Zoro's eyes shifted to meet Luffy's.

"Do you not trust him? He promised didn't he?"

Luffy was still for a moment before he deflated.

"Yea, I know, I just don't want him to take too long."

"He knows what we're up against. Bastard better not take forever."

Zoro sighed, he saw the looks on all of their faces but they couldn't afford to deal with the shitty cook's shit right now. He turned and walked out of the roo. Looking up at the dark sky above all he could do was _tsk_.

He was going to give the idiot the beating of his life for doing this when he got back. Nothing could have been more important than his crew's safety, shitty apparent family crisis or not.

The rest of the crew looked around themselves uncertainly. This was all true but it felt wrong to leave one of their nakama on their own when they honestly didn't really know anything about what was going on with him.

It was Sanji though, strong, sunny Sanji. He'd be fine, right? He didn't need their help, right?

…right?

—-

"The Super Secret Meeting of the Council of Rescue Sanji United is hearby in session."

Ussop smacked a makeshift gavel on the ground in front of him. Luffy, Robin, Nami, Chopper, Brooke, Franky (everyone except Zoro basically since he was being a prickly jerk about the whole thing) were gathered in a circle behind a copse of trees behind the compound.

"Ussop we're all here except Zoro, it's not a very big secret."

Nami huffed.

Ussop nodded sagely and countered with, "Yea, but do you know what he'd do if he found out about us talking about this behind his back? I'd rather not have to deal with the shit storm he'd bring down on our heads, _my_ head, thank you very much. So until further notice this is most definitely the _SECRET_ Meeting of the Council of Rescue Sanji United."

Robin titled her head, "But we still haven't determined if the cook actually needs rescuing or not have we?"

Franky nodded along, "She's right, for all we know he could be headed back to us now."

Chopper fidgeted with his hat, "What we really need is more information. What do all of you know about Sanji and his family?"

…

…Crickets, actual crickets, could be heard chirping in the background, as if mocking them.

Smug bastards.

Chopper drooped and clutched at his hat, "Yeah, me neither."

Luffy frowned and rocked back, racking his brain. After a moment he huffed and scratched at the hair under his hat.

"Urggh! I wish we could just see his family or something."

 _*poink*_

Blackness.

That's all anyone saw, and for a moment no one said anything but as if on cue Ussop started screaming his head off and Chopper joined in as they began to run circles around the group.

"Wha…"

A bright light flashed and they all felt a sinking sensation in their gut before they went weightless and found themselves falling only to abruptly be dropped into a bright, lavishly furnished room that no one had ever seen before.

As they started picking themselves up from the jumbled heap that they'd landed in a grumble from the bottom of the impromptu dog pile drew their attention to the tuft of bright green sticking out from under Franky's armpit.

"Zoro-bro?"

Zoro glared fiercely up at all of them.

"Someone had better have a damned good explanation for this."

* * *

Well here we go, this one will probably be a three parter and I might sprinkle other one shots between to satisfy my yearning for Sanji angst. If anyone wants to write a story based off any idea you get from anything here have at it please! I need more epic fan fiction to read and i can't quite write that stuff myself cause it never comes out right. Plus, reading is more fun. I give my blessing for anyone to take any plot bunny or lack there of, please, I'm starved for more Vinsmoke, princely, awesome Sanji related fics. Feed me before I eat my hands.


	2. Screw You Ch 851

Warning contains spoilers for chapter 851. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled program soon, I had to get this out real quick after seeing that one panel, you know the one. I haven't read it all but I did see the thing. Oda just kill me with a rusty spoon why don't ya

* * *

It was cold and his stupid cigarette wouldn't light.

Damn thing was useless. He kept flicking the strike on his lighter though, trying again and again to spark a flame.

Nothing would come though.

Vaguely he remembered that it had been raining outside but he didn't feel any of that, not a single drop registered to him, he didn't feel much of anything really.

But it was cold, that he could feel. Around the numbness, seeping into his skin and crawling it's way down into his very bones, a sharp, aching chill like he'd not felt in years surrounded him.

He knew why, he did but didn't want to think on it, couldn't allow himself to dwell because if he did…if he did..

He'd think…

…he'd…

…

… _why am I never enough?_

Something inside of him that he had long thought repaired, broke.

A dam cracked and splintered and heaved under the weight of the crippling emotions that bombarded his heart from every direction.

 _Wha…what's wrong with me?_

The burning in his eye's and the slick feeling from his nose told him what he already knew.

He was weak.

And weakness had no place among the strong.

—-

Luffy strained and fought against the restraints that bound him in this damn cage. The urgency to get to Sanji had only festered and grown in his heart since that evil, three eye'd witch had left.

Something was terribly wrong.

Behind the threat to him and Nami, past the guillotine that hung over the Vinsmokes, beyond even the claim she made on his cooks life there was something else that was terribly horribly wrong and Luffy wanted to get to his cook _now._

He had no patience for this shit.

He was going to King of the Pirates and nothing…

 _nothing_

…was going to stand between him and his own damn nakama.

Not Pudding…

Not the Vinsmokes…

Not even a fucking Yonko.

Metal screeched twisted and snapped free of the brick prison.

Luffy wanted Sanji back.

And the King gets what the King wants.

He looked at Nami.

"No more waiting, we get Sanji back now."

Nami looked up into the face of their captain, their future King, and gave a wide, watery smile.

"Right!"

* * *

There better. Sanji had better get the hat or I'm going to throw a fit.


	3. This Pilot Episode Sucks, Pt 2

Not gonna lie, (spoiler warning) I read about Pudding's devil fruit ability and I immediately wish I had started this story a day later. I mean come on! Memories like film reels. It's perfect! *sigh* oh well, next time i guess haha.

* * *

The crew stood around the room looking toward the mini showdown going on between Zoro and Ussop. Well, not showdown really, more like an irate Zoro and a whimpering Ussop doing his best not to sweat out his body weight in water. That'd be just like Zoro too, make Ussop off himself by dehydration and do the dirty work himself.

Well not today!

Ussop put on his bravest face and resolved not to have a heart attack standing up to the green monster looming over him.

"Look, I swear I didn't do anything! I mean how could I have? I'm Ussop! Besides, Luffy was the last to say something so I say if anything this is all his fault."

Zoro growled and Ussop promptly backed down and leapt behind the nearest source of cover. Namely, a lamp.

He's Ussop, it is what it is.

Deciding to ignore the clearly visible sharpshooter that was like 5 feet away (I mean come on really?) Zoro turned his gaze to the rest of the crew, finally ending up on Luffy. The kid was sitting on a couch picking at his ear wax.

Zoro was surrounded by morons.

"Really? No one has any sort of explanation for this? One minute I'm napping outside the infirmary the next I'm crammed underneath you lot in a room clearly not part of Zou."

And really it wasn't. The decor of the place was so lavish and high end there was no way it was part of the weird elephant creature they were riding on…used to be riding on. Besides, one glance outside the enormous window on the other side of the room told him that they weren't anywhere familiar. The sea rose in the distance putting them lower than Zou possibly could and pockets of cityscape, very unfamiliar structures, peppered the skyline in between.

And no one had his damned good explanation as to why this would be.

Robin turned from the bookshelf she had been examining and the curious book on Noland she had seen and tapped her finger to her chin.

"I can't seem to think of a reasonable explanation either swordsman-san. The captain said he wished to see cook-san's family and then poof, here we are."

Zoro scoffed.

"You expect me to buy that we're here cause of a _wish_?"

A beat of silence passed and Zoro sighed.

"Fine, wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to us but still."

Chopper brightened and pipped up.

"Well this isn't so bad right? If we're where Sanji's family is then we can just grab him and go, we're already here so we might as well."

Luffy looked up and a huge grin stretched across his face.

"Yeah! Forget secret meetings -

"Luffy!"

"- and arguing, if we're here no reason not to! I want Sanji back and now we don't have to wait."

Brooke who was leaning against the wall furrowed his boney brow.

"I'm not sure things will be that simple, if this is truly the Vinsmoke's abode I suspect retrieving Sanji may be more complicated then simply asking nicely."

Nami frowned.

"They're Sanji-kun's family though right? I know Pekoms said they were assassins but if they raised Sanji-kun then they can't be all that unreasonable."

Brooke opened his mouth to explain to them just who the Vinsmoke family was but a loud click from the room's only door stopped him short.

Zoro braced himself for anything that might come through to threaten the crew, but he wasn't prepared for the tiny, blonde child that stumbled through from the other side.

None of them were.

—-

Sanji's breath rattled in his chest, he coughed and felt something wet and slick and icky crawl its way up his throat but he did his best to ignore it for now. Looking down he gave his brightest smile to the small creature staring up at him from the safety of his hands.

"You're okay now little guy, I'm sorry they were so mean to you…"

The smile on his face grew but only to spite the fact that he knew it'd also grown brittle.

"…they're mean to me too, but you just gotta ignore them."

The cute little mouse squeaked up at him and rubbed a paw over it's ears then tossed it's head up, chin held high.

Sanji giggled.

"Yeah, just like that. Come on lets clean you up."

The mouse squeaked again and Sanji glanced down at himself and registered the cuts and bruises all over his own body. With a self depreciating smile he gave a little cough,

"I guess I should clean up too, huh?"

Sanji placed his friend down on his desk and went about the room gathering a variety of bandages and antiseptics he'd managed to gather over the years. Setting them down he went to work on the poor mouse.

He really should name the little guy. He paused with a cotton swab as memories hit him of the last time he'd named something.

Well, maybe it'd be best if he didn't.

Making quick work of his animal friend he set the stuff down and coughed into his hands. They came back covered in that icky red substance he'd felt in his throat earlier. Not startled at all by the blood on his hands he wiped them off and went to get a fresh shirt.

It was easy to pick a new one, all he had to choose from were plain white t-shirts with a big 3 embossed on the front. As he changed he caught sight of the mouse watching and smiled at it. He was a little self-conscious of all the scars he had, none of his brothers had any, but he liked to think he saw worry in it's beady eyes.

He finished grappling with the arm holes of his shirt, _stupid things_ , and put his hands on his hips.

"Don't worry little guy, I'll be right as rain soon. I heal fast and most of these are super old anyway. Doesn't even bother me anymore."

He grinned and flexed his thin arms in a show of strength and general awesomeness.

The mouse gave him a look.

Sanji laughed. He knew he was being silly, even a mouse could see he wasn't all that strong.

"Okay okay, maybe I don't look too impressive right now but one day, I swear I'll be the best. I'll be the strongest and then father will look at me like he does the others, you'll see."

He gathered his furry friend in his hands and set it down on the plush comforter of his bed before hopping in to lay down next it. After nestling down in the safety of his cover Sanji gave his friend a few scratches under it's chin and it squeaked happily up at him.

He grinned, small and delicate. The old, dried tear tracks on his face, that he was just registering for the first time, cracked and made his face feel all tight and waxy.

"You'll see. One day I'll be strong and useful and they'll love me…"

His eyes slowly fluttered shut, golden lashes touched down on his cheek.

"One day…"

Darkness took him and the pain receded from his tiny body and fragile heart both.

The mouse didn't understand much of what the man-child said to it but it was fond of the gentle creature and so hopped up to give his face a tiny lick before curling up next to the child and dozing off itself.

—-

At first they were all confused about what in the world they were seeing. It was Sanji, that much was certain, but not the Sanji they knew. This one was so little and cute (the girls words) and…wait, hurt?

As if this wasn't confusing enough everyone lost their shit after Chopper, being the first to respond, ran up to the little guy and promptly _fell right through him_.

Now Ussop was running circles around the room screaming about ghosts and Chopper was beside himself with worry.

As for the others, in the stunned silence that followed they watched and listened to the child cook as he went about his way and couldn't help but to feel like, out of all the weird things that had happened today, this was the most unexpected.

Not falling into a strange new place, not the fact that they were apparently incorporeal, not even the fact that Sanji was a kid. No, the most unexpected thing was that this child, their amazing, bright cook, seemed to be a timid, distressed boy in what they assumed was his own hime. This was not the strong, brave, sunny man they'd all come to know and love (respect! Zoro, for one, respects him thank you very much). No this painted a much different picture than the one they had come to assume over the years was the portrait of the cook's life.

And just as they were coming down from the shock (and quite honestly heartbreak. Look at him! And he didn't think he was loved or useful? He's like 8, what the fuck was going on!?) of what they were seeing a familiar sinking feeling settled in to all their stomachs and…

* _poink_ *

Darkness took them too.


End file.
